


Cabin Reno

by MaryBeth



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: F/M, Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:55:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27139015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaryBeth/pseuds/MaryBeth
Summary: Hopper gets a new private bedroom and El redecorates - as was evident in Season 3. This is the story of how that happened...
Relationships: Eleven | Jane Hopper & Jim "Chief" Hopper, Joyce Byers/Jim "Chief" Hopper
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36





	Cabin Reno

**Author's Note:**

> Well it’s been a while folks. Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy in these crazy times. As far as timelines go, this story takes place a couple of months before season 3 and is a continuation of my other stories… hope you enjoy. As always, feedback is appreciated.

The first, but completely unglamorous, step in the cabin makeover started with the driveway. After more than a year, Hopper did not hesitate to admit he was more than fed up with the five minute walk from the Blazer to the cabin. That last couple of hundred yards over uneven, sometimes snowy, forested terrain while schlumping heavy bags of groceries or after a fourteen hour shift were getting old. Really old. Like his knees and his back.

So as soon as the snow melted, the frost was out of the ground and the surface had dried up, he contacted an old buddy from high school who owned an excavating company and arranged for a driveway to be extended practically right up to the cabin door. And since he was having more visitors and sometimes needed room for multiple cars to turn around and park, the last fifty yards was substantially widened and a couple of turn out spots were created. He knew he was only a few years away from most of the kids learning to drive – _Jesus he could not picture El behind the wheel of a car_ \- so he wanted to make it as easy as possible to avoid any parking mishaps.

The other clear advantage of improved access to the cabin was for hauling in the larger items, like the new queen size bed he had bought for his expanded personal space. He could not wait to bid goodbye to sleeping in the living room, right next to the tv which El loved to turn on early on the weekends. Or to the cot he had spent so many months sleeping on. The one that barely held his large frame and certainly did not have any space (or privacy) for anyone else. Just in case. In case… well…sigh. 

Joyce. 

Anyway, a queen sized bed would be a huge improvement, and his back was going to be eternally grateful. But before the bed could arrive the back room needed to be emptied of all the junk that had been thrown in there and hadn’t been thought about since. The small back room was home to the washer, dryer and hot water tank, but still had enough room for a bed, chest of drawers and night table. His needs were few, but privacy was at the top of the list. However, the back room was full of boxes, old furniture, and junk. Lots and _lots_ of junk that had accumulated over many years. Not to mention that when he and El had first moved in, every single piece of crap got tossed back there during their clean up. Another domino in this “clean up the cabin” process was that the shed and the loft above El’s room needed cleaning out before the back room could be emptied, in order to make room for the stuff that needed to move out of the back room. To make room for the bed. His bed. His queen size bed that he could actually stretch out on. Or share with someone.

Not just someone. Sigh.

There was really only one person he wanted to share it with. He smiled just thinking about it. While Joyce was still recovering from the loss of Bob, their relationship was slowly but steadily advancing to the place where he hoped it would go. Where he hoped that _she_ hoped it would eventually go. He had realized quite some time ago that there was no one else he wanted to share his life with. He just had to hope she would catch up with him and want the same thing. At some point. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

For now, over the past month, Hopper had spent almost every spare minute sifting through the loft and shed putting various things into keep, donate, and garbage piles. He enlisted El’s help, which was very handy for floating boxes up and down from the loft and the higher shelves, but quickly discovered she had a “hoarding” tendency when things would magically move from the donate and garbage piles back to the keep pile. Honestly, who needs 5 pails?

“What if the roof leaks?” El argued. “We would need them to catch the drips.”

“When has the roof ever leaked?” he asked, blowing the dust off another mystery box.

“It hasn’t,” she had to admit. “But that doesn’t mean it won’t.”

This was not the hill he wanted to die on, and he didn’t mind being agreeable when it didn’t cost him too much. “Fine, I guess we can pile them all together in the shed so they won’t take up much room. Okay?”

“Okay.” She smiled at the small victory.

Things went on this way over the course of several days, with a constant give and take. All three piles were growing and good progress was being made. The loft was finally cleared, cleaned and neatly repacked with boxes of Christmas decorations, keepsakes and anything else that needed to stay inside. And there was lots of room left for anything else that needed to go up there from the back room.

They were halfway through the shed and things were going well until Hopper had to put his foot down one Sunday morning when El wanted to keep a broken fishing rod. 

“It’s busted,” he pointed out, even though it was obvious. For the life of him he couldn’t figure out why it hadn’t already been thrown out, or why she wanted to keep it. Maybe he should buy her a new one and they could go fishing sometime. But it seemed like all she wanted to do these days was spend time with her friends. And Mike in particular. That Wheeler kid was practically a permanent fixture.

“Can’t you fix it?”

He sighed, giving it a quick once over. “It’s not worth fixing.”

He could practically feel her rolling her eyes at him but refused to look. “But…”

“El.” His patience was waning.

She recognized that tone. “Fine,” she huffed, finally adding the pieces to the garbage pile.

He decided to change the subject. “You getting hungry? How about some lunch?” he asked. He could use another cup of coffee. Or two.

“Grilled cheese?” she asked hopefully.

He ruffled her hair, always happy when she asked for anything other than an Eggo. “Sounds good to me – let’s take a break.”

*****************

Hopper heard the locks slip just as he was reaching to start the secret knock. He shook his head before opening the door to find El waiting anxiously right in front of him. He looked at her with what he hoped was a stern expression. “You know you’re supposed to wait for the knock.” He had been more lax with most rules these past few months, but not this one.

“I knew it was you. I peeked through the curtain,” she explained with absolutely no remorse. “Do you have them?”

“Yes.”

She looked at him expectantly.

“You don’t mind if I take my coat and gun belt off first, do you?”

Apparently she did. She kept staring at him. Staring with those big “please daddy” eyes that he was getting used to but had no defense for. Absolutely none. He gave up.

“Fine,” he said, digging into his inside pocket. “You really need to work on your patience, you know that?”

But she wasn’t listening. As soon as she saw the stack of paint color chips in his hand she squealed with delight. He was letting her pick a new paint color for her bedroom and she had been thinking about it all day.

“Thank you!” she told him as he handed them over. She gave him a quick squeeze around his waist and raced off to her room. He could easily picture her holding the samples up to the wall and giving each one her undivided consideration.

It had taken two days to narrow down the choice to three colors, and then she had asked all her friends for their opinions before finally deciding on a bright green shade that was a cross between ‘Sesame Street puppet’ and ‘1970’s hospital hallway’. But Hopper certainly wasn’t going to argue with it. After all, he didn’t spend nearly as much time in her room as he used to. The days of bedtime stories had passed in favor of evenings talking to her friends, either on her supercom or the newly added phone line with the extremely long cord. He knew she was growing up, but sometimes he missed the early days when her world revolved around him. When he would pull up a chair alongside her bed and read to her until her eyes drooped. Then he’d tuck her in, kiss her forehead and watch her sleep for a little while, always amazed that they had found one another. Amazed. Thankful. Incredulous that he had another chance to be a dad.

She was growing up too fast and while he didn’t like it one bit, he knew there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

******

The back room was finally cleared and ready for the bed to be installed. The entire “extended family” was coming over this afternoon to help paint El’s room and haul away the donations and garbage. Since it was Saturday Joyce was working, but she was going to join them for a barbecue dinner.

Hopper finished the last of his morning coffee and watched El emerge from the shower, drying her hair with a towel. “Okay, I’m heading into town for a few hours,” he told her, putting his cup in the sink and grabbing his jacket off the hook. “I’ll be back by lunch.”

“Okay,” El replied.

“Are you sure we don’t need any other painting supplies?” he asked.

“Nancy and Mrs. Wheeler just painted Holly’s room so she’s bringing everything.”

“Okay then, see you later. Message me if you think of anything else we need,” he said, pulling out his keys as he left.

Hopper had a busy morning ahead of him. He was picking up his new bed, the paint for El’s room and the groceries for dinner. At first he had been resistant to the kids coming over to help, but on their regular Wednesday night dinner at Joyce’s, when the gang learned about the work planned for that weekend, everyone had eagerly volunteered to help. He had to admit that with many more hands and a couple more drivers it would turn two full days work into one afternoon of labor, freeing up his Sunday for a real day off. A much needed drink a beer and watch tv while lounging on the couch type of day off. So he accepted the offer and promised a barbecue dinner as a thank you. Mike and Max promised El they would help paint her room. Steve was bringing his father’s truck, and Jonathon would bring his car.

He smiled to himself as he walked to the Blazer, thinking about seeing Joyce tonight.

*****

The afternoon had gone miraculously well and the work was done much faster than Hopper anticipated. Jonathon, Mike and Nancy were already at the cabin when he returned so Jonathon had helped him carry in the bed, set up the frame and place the mattress and box spring. When it was done he stared at it longingly, anxiously looking forward to his first comfortable night’s sleep in months.

With all the extra hands and vehicles it had only taken one trip to the dump, recycle and donation centers to finally rid the property of all the piles of junk. But not before everyone had a chance to sift through and take whatever they wanted first. It was true what they said, one man’s junk was another man’s treasure. Watching Steve and Dustin argue over who saw an old hunting jacket of his grandfather’s first had been comical. After 5 minutes of good natured banter Dustin claimed the moth eaten jacket. It reminded him of the hat El was wearing when he found her in the woods. Neither of them had been willing to give that up, so it still hung on the hook inside the door.

The bedroom painting was done and it looked much better than he had ever imagined. He had been scared that so much green would be nauseating, but several of the kids had brought over wall hangings, curtains, knick knacks and colorful pillowcases to help create an overall homey, comfortable feeling. Joyce had donated an old quilt that matched the paint color and it pulled the room together nicely. He had to admit it was a huge improvement, and suddenly felt bad for not putting more effort into sprucing up her bedroom before now. But if he was being honest he had barely had the energy to deal with being a dad again during that first year. The level of care she required was sometimes closer to a toddler than a pre-teen and his major goal had been improving her speaking, social and reading skills. Holding down a demanding full time job and being a single, secretive parent had not been easy. But looking at her now, beaming at her lovely new décor, he would not change a thing. All the sacrifices had been worth it to have the chance to be a dad again. Her dad. He had saved her, but she had done the same for him.

“Looks great kid,” he praised, ruffling her hair.

By the time Joyce arrived after work Hopper was grilling hamburgers and hot dogs on the front porch. Most of the kids were either out front looking for long sticks to toast marshmallows later or helping get the salads, paper plates and plastic cutlery ready in the kitchen.

He was constantly amazed at how natural it felt to have a house full of semi-adopted kids hanging around at the cabin after spending over a year alone with El and several years all alone. But this extended family of warriors that had been through so much shared danger and trauma somehow seemed to fit perfectly together – with him and Joyce as the real and surrogate parents. Max’s mother would haul her back to California if she knew what her friends had gotten her into. Dustin’s mom had no idea how close she had come to losing her only son. Steve’s dad had never heard of a Demogorgon. The Sinclairs were clueless as to the monsters Lucas had been fighting. Karen Wheeler would never truly understand what her son and daughter had been through. But he did. And Joyce certainly did. 

Joyce smiled and waved at Hopper as she climbed out of the car. He waved back with the tongs in his hands. 

“Hi mom,” Will called, giving up the stick search and walking towards the car. 

“Hey honey,” she replied, hugging him when he reached her. “How’d it go today?”

“Great, no problem – it’s all done. Hopper said dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

“Sounds good – I’m starving,” she replied, reaching into the back seat for a large bag.

“What’s that?” Will asked as she dumped it in his arms.

“It’s call Bed in a Bag – it’s for Hoppers bed.”

“It came in already?” Hopper called, overhearing their conversation. “I wasn’t expecting it for a couple of days.”

“I put a rush on it when you put in the order,” Joyce said, following Will as he carried the bag up the porch steps. “I’ll just have Will throw it in your room for now, ok?”

Hopper flipped the last burger over before turning to look at her. As always, her natural beauty overwhelmed him. How could someone be that stunning without even trying? He had been extremely patient waiting for her to recover from Bob’s loss, and he would wait until the end of time if she needed him to, but all he wanted to do right now was stare into her soulful brown eyes and kiss those beautiful, full lips.

“Hopper, ok?” she repeated, blushing slightly at his brazen staring.

He snapped out of his trance. “Uh, yeah, sure – thanks for rushing the order and bringing it.” Will smirked knowingly and disappeared inside.

“So - it went well today?” she asked, moving closer and leaning on the porch railing.

“Yeah, couldn’t have been better.” He checked the hot dogs in order to avoid looking into her eyes. “Everyone was a great help. How was work?”

She had spent most of her time daydreaming about spending the evening out here. _With him._ But she certainly wasn’t going to say that out loud. “Same old. I’ll help you make up the bed after dinner, but right now I have to see how the paint job turned out in El’s room,” she said before heading for the door.

“It turned out good,” he called after her. “Real nice.”

She hadn’t been a huge fan of the color either, so rolled her eyes in disbelief. A few seconds later he heard El greet her and then the sounds of her delighted response to El’s freshly redecorated room wafted out the screen porch door.

Hopper smiled, turned off the propane and filled the platter with food. “Come and get it!” he yelled, carrying it into the cabin and sitting it on the table next to the bowls of potato and macaroni salad.

*****

The sounds of the fire crackled. The kids encircled it, sitting on old lawn chairs, stumps, and logs as they toasted marshmallows. Hopper and Joyce were sharing a cigarette, sitting on the porch steps.

“I’m stuffed,” Lucas said.

“That’s what happens when you eat two hamburgers, three hot dogs and a dozen marshmallows,” Max retorted.

“I was hungry!” Lucas stated. “We did a lot of work today.”

Hopper and Joyce smiled at each other. “They did do a lot of work,” Hopper agreed, passing her the cigarette.

“They wanted to,” she told him, taking a puff. “That’s what family does – help each other.”

He glanced at her, the moonlight bouncing off her dark brown hair. He always thought she felt the same way he did, like all of them made one big, crazy, extended family, but he never heard her say it before. But of course she would, with the kids spending half their time at her place. The Byers house was the only other “safe” location for El to visit and be with her friends.

He looked towards the fire, sighing deeply. “Do you ever feel like you adopted a bunch of kids?” he asked.

Joyce glanced over at the nine kids in the yard. Nancy’s head was leaning on Jonathon’s shoulder. El and Mike were sitting so close they look fused together. Steve, Will and Dustin were good-naturedly arguing about a movie they had seen, and Max and Lucas were staring quietly into the fire. She didn’t think she could love anyone like she loved her two boys, but every single person around that fire was like her own child now.

“Yes, absolutely,” she answered, passing the cigarette back.

It was nice sitting here with him. She always felt so safe and comfortable. Able to be herself. It had been a long, tough winter after losing Bob and she knew she never would have made it without him. He finished the cigarette, stood up and ground the butt into the ground.

“How about I help you make up your bed now?” she asked, getting up as well. She was standing one step up from him but he still loomed over her. She found it comforting, the sheer size of him.

“Yeah, sure,” he responded.

Jonathon and Will exchanged a knowing glance when they saw their mom and Hopper heading into the cabin. They’ve talked about it a little bit. They know how Hopper feels. He’s a ‘wear his heart on his sleeve’ kind of guy as far as their mom is concerned and it is almost impossible for him to hide it. And they’re pretty sure their mom feels the same way, but she’s been hurt too many times to take another chance right now. Their dad was a complete jerk and losing Bob in such a violent manner took a toll. Let alone almost losing Will twice. They know things with Hopper would be different. Better. She is a changed person around him. A happier one.

The brothers smiled at each other across the fire. It was only a matter of time.

*********

Joyce put the pillows in their cases and placed them on top of the freshly made bed. “I like the design you picked,” she said. The comforter had a geometric pattern with various shades of blue.

It had been a little weird having Joyce in his bedroom for the first time. She’d been over to the cabin lots of times but this was different. He also rarely entered her bedroom when he was at her house, and the last time he had it was to sit on the floor and be there for her right after Bob died. In fact, they were rarely alone together in any room, always surrounded by kids. So it felt a little awkward. But in a good way.

“Thanks, there weren’t a lot of options that didn’t involve flowers or paisley.”

“It suits you,” she confirmed, looking at him from the opposite side of the bed. “And it suits the room, which is great by the way. I don’t know how you lasted so long on that cot in the living room.”

“Me either,” he admitted. “I’ve been thinking about sleeping in this bed all day.” _With you._

“It does look very comfortable. Mind if I try it?” she asked.

“Be my guest.” _Anytime._

Joyce gently stretches out on the bed. “Very comfortable,” she confirms, patting the space beside her.

_Oh Jesus._

He laid down beside her, pleasantly surprised when he didn’t hear the usual creaking springs. He relished the comfort of a new sturdy mattress that could actually support his bulk.

It had been several weeks since he tested mattresses and finally ordered one. “Wow it’s better than I remember,” he declared. _And big enough for two._

They lay on their backs for a few minutes, staring up at the ceiling. 

“It’s so peaceful out here,” Joyce whispers so low he can hardly hear her.

“Unless El is fighting with Mike on the phone.” 

Joyce laughed and reached for his hand, giving it a squeeze. He paused half a second before squeezing back. They enjoyed the companionable silence for a few moments before she sighed. She had been on her feet all day even though customers were getting scarcer. Everyone was waiting for the new mall to open in a few weeks. “I’d better get up before I fall asleep.”

The words are out of his mouth before he can stop them. “You can sleep here anytime.”

Joyce rolled over to face him so he does the same. Her lips are so close he can’t help but stare at them. _Jesus._ “Anytime?” she asks.

He doesn’t know if she serious, flirting, teasing or something else. He doesn’t care. “Yes, anytime.” _Seriously. Anytime. Or now would be great._

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Please do.”

“Hopper, –“

They hear the front door open. “Mom?” It’s Jonathon.

_Damn it._

Joyce practically catapults herself off the bed and is through the door in a flash. “Hey honey. Hopper says you helped him bring the bed in earlier.”

Hopper follows her out to the living room, where Jonathon, Nancy and Joyce are gathered. Despite her best efforts Joyce is blushing. It’s adorable.

“Yeah, yeah. No big deal. Nancy and I are gonna head out now. We just came in to say good night and thanks for dinner.”

“Yeah, it was delicious, thanks,” Nancy adds, looking back and forth between Hopper and Joyce as if she’s trying to figure out exactly what is going on between them. _Good luck with that._

“Least I could do to pay you back for all your work,” Hopper tells them before turning to Nancy. “And thanks for bringing over the painting supplies – did El give them back to you?”

“Yeah they’re in the car.”

“Ok, well, see you later,” Jonathon said, seemingly anxious to go. Hopper wasn’t sure if he felt embarrassed that he interrupted something between him and Joyce or if he was impatient to spend some time alone with Nancy. Probably a bit of both.

Nancy smiled at them before leaving. “Bye.”

After they left Joyce said, “I should probably get Will home too. It’s getting late.”

Hopper glanced at his watch, surprised to see it was past eleven. “Yeah, yeah. I guess it is.”

*****

Twenty minutes later Steve’s vehicle was loaded down with Mike, Dustin, Max and Lucas and he was pulling out behind Joyce and Will. Hopper poured water on the coals while El got ready for bed. Eventually, they crossed paths in the living room. It had been a long, busy day and exhaustion was setting in.

“Did you have fun today?” Hopper asked.

She nodded, stifling a yawn, before giving him a hug around the waist. “Thanks for letting me fix up my room.”

“Nice for us both to have new bedrooms, eh?”

“Yes.”

The guilt that he felt earlier for waiting so long returned. “Should have done it sooner, maybe.”

El pulled back and looked up at him. “No, not sooner. Now was perfect.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. So friends could help.”

_Good point._

El yawned again.

“Ok that’s it, get to bed,” he told her. “See you in the morning.”

“Night.”

“Goodnight El.”

Five minutes later he was washed up and standing at the foot of his new bed, thinking back to lying there with Joyce. How natural it had felt. And comfortable. _And right._ He could feel them getting closer, knew she was emerging from the cocoon of grief that had enveloped her for months after Bob died. Still, he couldn’t push her or rush things. He instinctively knew that would end in disaster. But they had taken another small step forward tonight. He climbed in and turned out the light. This new bed was great, but it was missing something. Or, more specifically, someone. 

He would wait as long as it took.


End file.
